Surah At-Tawba (9) — Ayah 112

(Ayah 112) ➊ In this verse, Allah Almighty has mentioned nine qualities of true striving believers. In the first six qualities, the relationship is only with Allah Almighty; the seventh and eighth qualities relate to creation, and the last relates to both.
➋ { اَلتَّآىِٕبُوْنَ:} Those who, feeling remorse for their sins, resolve to abandon them and seek forgiveness from Allah Almighty, because repentance is complete when all three are combined. In the battlefield, nothing is more beneficial than repentance and seeking forgiveness, as Allah Almighty has mentioned the prayer of those who fought alongside many prophets: «{ وَ مَا كَانَ قَوْلَهُمْ اِلَّاۤ اَنْ قَالُوْا رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوْبَنَا وَ اِسْرَافَنَا فِيْۤ اَمْرِنَا وَ ثَبِّتْ اَقْدَامَنَا وَ انْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكٰفِرِيْنَ }» [ آل عمران : 147 ] "And their only words were that they said: 'Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and our excess in our affairs, make our feet firm, and help us against the disbelieving people.'"
➌ { الْعٰبِدُوْنَ الْحٰمِدُوْنَ:} Those who worship Allah in hardship and ease, in happiness and sorrow, in comfort and difficulty, and who praise Him and remain content with Him in every situation.
➍ { السَّآىِٕحُوْنَ: ’’سَاحَ يَسِيْحُ سِيَاحَةً‘‘} means water flowing and spreading over the earth. {’’ اَلسِّيَاحَةُ ‘‘ } means to set out in the land (leaving home and family) for worship. (Qamoos) Since this involves abandoning comfort and luxury and renouncing the world, in Christianity it took the form of monasticism, which Allah Almighty forbade, as He said: «{ وَ رَهْبَانِيَّةَ اِبْتَدَعُوْهَا مَا كَتَبْنٰهَا عَلَيْهِمْ }» [ الحدید : ۲۷ ] "And monasticism (withdrawal from the world) they invented for themselves; We did not prescribe it for them." Now, its form is migration for the sake of Allah Almighty, that if one cannot practice Allah's religion or invite to it, he should leave and go elsewhere in Allah's land. See Surah An-Nisa (97 to 100), Az-Zumar (10), and Al-Ankabut (53). One form is striving in the way of Allah, in which the struggler leaves home, abandons comfort and luxury, and travels to the most difficult and beautiful places in Allah's land to raise Allah's name high and proclaims Allah's word everywhere. It is narrated from Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man said: "O Messenger of Allah! Allow me to travel (for worship)." The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: [ اِنَّ سِيَاحَةَ اُمَّتِي الْجِهَادُ فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ] [أبوداوٗد، الجھاد، باب فی النھی عن السیاحۃ : ۲۴۸۶، و صححہ الألبانی ] "The travel of my Ummah is striving in the way of Allah." According to some scholars, {’’ السَّآىِٕحُوْنَ‘‘ } also includes those students who travel from city to city to learn Allah's religion. One form is the fast of {’’ السَّآىِٕحُوْنَ‘‘}, in which a person, along with abandoning all sins, gives up his three most beloved things: eating, drinking, and intimacy with his wife. {’’السَّآىِٕحُوْنَ‘‘} means "those who fast." This has been narrated from Ibn Abbas, Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with them), and many Tabi'een. (Ibn Kathir) In a narration from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: [ اَلسَّائِحُوْنَ هُمُ الصَّائِمُوْنَ ] "'As-Sa'ihoon' are those who fast." (Mustadrak, etc., but Shaykh Al-Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, declared it weak in Silsilah Da'eefah 3729.)
Shah Abdul Qadir, may Allah have mercy on him, says that detachment is either fasting, migration, or not being attached to the pleasures of the world. (Mawdhih) If we consider the literal meaning of {’’ السَّآىِٕحُوْنَ ‘‘} and the authentic hadith, then those who travel the earth for migration, striving, raising the religion, or other good purposes are its real examples. The system of passports and visas was implemented by the disbelievers in their own and Muslim countries to end this characteristic of Muslims, because through travel, migration, striving, seeking knowledge, preaching, trade, and countless benefits are achieved, which continued as long as Muslims traveled the whole earth and were honored with this strength. When they sat at home and became comfort-seeking, the disbelievers' aim was fulfilled.
➎ {الرّٰكِعُوْنَ السّٰجِدُوْنَ:} Its foremost examples are those who, in addition to obligatory prayers, also perform voluntary prayers, about whom even the disbelievers testified: {’’هُمْ بِاللَّيْلِ رُهْبَانٌ وَبِالنَّهَارِ فُرْسَانٌ‘‘} that they are monks at night and horsemen by day. Otherwise, at the very least, being steadfast in obligatory prayers is fundamental for this. Considering oneself a merchant of Paradise while abandoning prayer is nothing but deceiving oneself.
➏ {الْاٰمِرُوْنَ بِالْمَعْرُوْفِ … :} That is, those who, by enjoining good and forbidding evil, make disbelievers into Muslims and urge Muslims to act upon Islam, and not only others, but themselves also strictly observe every limit and obey every command of Allah. In {’’ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ ‘‘}, due to the definite article "al," it has been translated as "those believers," meaning that only believers possessing these qualities are entitled to glad tidings, not mere claimants.

112. 1. Here, further attributes of those believers are being described whose lives and wealth Allah has purchased; they are those who repent, that is, who avoid sins and immoralities and worship their Lord, who praise and glorify Allah with their tongues, and who possess the other qualities mentioned in the verse. By "سیاحت", most commentators have meant fasting, and Ibn Kathir has declared this to be the most authentic and well-known opinion. Some, however, have taken it to mean jihad. However, "سیاحت" does not mean traveling the earth, as some people have understood. Similarly, going to the peaks of mountains, caves, and desolate wildernesses to worship Allah is also not meant by this, because this is a part of monasticism and asceticism, which is not in Islam. However, during times of tribulation, to protect one's religion, it is permitted in hadith to leave cities and populated areas and live in forests and wildernesses. (Sahih Bukhari, Book of Faith, Chapter: Fleeing from Tribulations as Part of Religion, and Book of Tribulations, Chapter: Living with Bedouins during Tribulation)

112. 2. The meaning is that a perfect believer is one whose words and deeds are an excellent example of the teachings of Islam, and who avoids those things from which Allah has forbidden him, and thus does not violate the limits set by Allah, but rather protects them. Only such perfect believers are deserving of glad tidings; this is the matter that has been repeatedly stated in the Quran with the words (اٰ مَنُوْ ا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ). Here, a bit more detail of righteous deeds has been given.

112. (Those believers are) the ones who repent [125], worship, praise, fast [126], bow, prostrate, enjoin what is right [127], forbid what is wrong, and guard the limits of Allah [128] (who make this deal with Allah). And give glad tidings to such believers.

[125]
The Qualities of Those Who Fulfill the Covenant of Sale:

It has been mentioned in the previous verses how the true believers who stayed behind from the Battle of Tabuk repented with sincere hearts. Thus, sometimes even true believers, due to human nature, forget that covenant of sale by virtue of which the believers have pledged to Allah that they will act in their lives and wealth according to His will. And whenever such an occasion arises, the characteristic of such believers is that whenever they realize their mistake, they immediately turn to Allah and seek forgiveness and repentance from Him on every such occasion.

[126]
The Literal Meaning of "Sa’ih":

One meaning of "Sa’ih" is a fasting person. Such a fast in which, besides abstaining from food and drink, the fasting person also observes moral restrictions, such as refraining from lying, foul language, and quarrelling. According to Sahib Munjid, it refers to a fasting person who resides in the mosque. Whereas "Sa’im" simply means a fasting person, although he too is instructed to observe moral restrictions. Its second meaning is a traveler—not for recreation, but for seeking knowledge, striving in the way of Allah, earning lawful sustenance, taking lessons from the relics of ancient nations, observing the signs of Allah spread throughout the universe, propagating and preaching Islam, and for every act in which the pleasure of Allah is sought.

[127] That is, those people who do not suffice with self-reformation alone, but out of goodwill, also encourage others to do good deeds and prevent them from evil, according to their ability, whether by hand, tongue, or pen. This is a very important duty for the believers.

[128] The scope of these limits is very broad, encompassing the entire life of a person—that is, the boundaries set by Allah Almighty in matters of beliefs, worship, morals, social life, civilization, economy, politics, justice, and matters of peace and war. They do not transgress these limits. And only those believers in whom all these qualities are found can be said to be bound by that covenant of sale, in exchange for which they have been given the glad tidings of Paradise.